Revival: That Your People May Rejoice In You
Psalms 85
October 4, 2020
The conversation of revival is never too far from the lips of the church.
• Sometimes we talk of revivals of old and how God moved in history.
• There was a time when revivals were routinely scheduled and planned.
• Often times events that appear successful are credited with having brought revival
And then there are times like in our day today
Where the culture is shifting so quickly into depravity
That the need for revival is often spoken of.
I hear it quite often today, that America needs revival.
And I certainly agree with that.
I would point out, what is often times missed in the fact.
Revival comes from the Latin word REVIVERE (ree-vee-ve-ree)
It is “RE” which means “back”
And “VIVERE” (vee-ve-ree) which means “to live” or “life”
The word means “back to life”
So obviously before a person can be “RE-vived”
They must have first been “vived” to begin with.
I point that out primarily to make sure that everyone here understands
That it is NOT a fitting prayer to pray for America to have revival.
It IS however fitting to pray for the American church to have revival.
The unredeemed in our nation need salvation.
It is the church that needs revival.
Far too often our prayers for revival
Have more to do with the stopping of an evil culture,
But the call for revival is for the church to be brought back to life.
For example:
Revelation 3:1-6 “To the angel of the church in Sardis write: He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says this: ‘I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. ‘Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God. ‘So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you. ‘But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. ‘He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”
That is an example of a church in need of revival.
• They were in effect dead.
• They lived on past accomplishments.
• There were only a few who weren’t soiled with the sin of the world.
• They needed revival.
• They needed to wake up.
• They needed to repent.
This is the purist form of revival.
When the church recognizes that she is the one who needs to repent.
Psalms 85 is a tremendous song about revival.
It is a great picture of the attitude and desire of true revival.
And in a day where revival is sorely needed, it is a very fitting Psalm.
We’re just going to break it down into 3 points tonight.
#1 THE CONCEPT OF REVIVAL
Psalms 85:1-3
What we read of here in these first 3 verses is merely
The Psalmists recognition of the unchanging character of God.
The Psalmist has read His history.
• He is well aware of what God has done in the past.
• And certainly it is what he is going to pray for later in the Psalm.
But before he asks for revival,
He first sets the foundation for exactly what he means.
• By revival, he DOESN’T mean economic prosperity…
• By revival, he DOESN’T mean cultural peace…
• By revival, he DOESN’T mean physical health…
Those are NOT the things the Psalmist has in mind.
He mentions things like
“restoration” “forgiveness” “atonement” “propitiation”
Rather, by revival what the Psalmist is talking about
IS A RECONCILIATION WITH GOD.
He knows that is the problem.
• God is angry.
• God has been offended.
• God’s wrath abides.
And until that situation is settled, none of the others will either.
Fortunately the Psalmist knows
THAT GOD HAS FIXED SUCH PROBLEMS IN THE PAST.
“O LORD, You showed favor to Your land;”
What do we call that; when God shows favor that is undeserved or unmerited?
• We call that grace don’t we?
• Some even define it as “God’s unmerited favor”.
• It is when God does something for you that you do not deserve.
Ephesians 2:1-6 “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,”
God’s favor given to those who did not deserve it.
And the Psalmist says we know You have done this in the past.
Not only that:
“You restored the captivity of Jacob.”
That would be a deliverance from calamity or from consequences.
• Many here see this verse and assume the Psalmist speaks of the return from Babylonian exile, but that is unlikely.
• If that were in view, he would have referred to them as Judah, not Jacob.
• But the reality is that God has “restored the captivity of Jacob” countless times.
Go read the book of Judges.
Judges 3:12-15 “Now the sons of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD. So the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD. And he gathered to himself the sons of Ammon and Amalek; and he went and defeated Israel, and they possessed the city of the palm trees. The sons of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years. But when the sons of Israel cried to the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer for them, Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a left-handed man. And the sons of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon the king of Moab.”
• Ehud was the “James Bond” type judge who snuck into the upper room chamber and stabbed the king and escaped out the window.
Judges 6:7 “Now it came about when the sons of Israel cried to the LORD on account of Midian,”
• And then God raised up Gideon
Judges 10:10 “Then the sons of Israel cried out to the LORD, saying, “We have sinned against You, for indeed, we have forsaken our God and served the Baals.”
• And then God raised up Jephthah
There is story after story after story of times when God
“restored the captivity of Jacob” and saved them from their calamity.
They didn’t deserve deliverance.
They had rightly brought this hardship on themselves.
But God in His grace, restored them anyway.
“You forgave the iniquity of Your people;”
• Forgiveness is often spoken of us “refusing the right to punish”.
• My how many times God has done that.
Psalms 103:10 “He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.”
God had the right from the fall to condemn the entire human race,
But He is instead forgiving.
Instead, God treated someone else as they deserved to be treated.
“You covered all their sin.”
That speaks of atonement.
• It is where God poured out His wrath, which they deserved, on an object of sacrifice.
• Certainly it is a picture of Christ and what He did on the cross.
Time after time Israel sinned and deserved condemnation,
But God in His grace forgave them
And accepted a substitute on their behalf.
Romans 3:25 “Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed;”
All the wrath for the sins of Israel, God poured out on Christ.
He took sinful people, who deserved condemnation
• And instead showed them grace,
• Delivered them from their consequences,
• Chose not to punish them for their sin,
• And poured out His wrath on a substitute instead.
This is a very fitting place to insert the “Selah”
Since such a deed must be pondered.
This is where you would ordinarily stop the song
And partake of the Lord’s Supper.
And one has to marvel just for a moment in the statement, “all their sin”
For if God had only covered most of it, they’d still be in trouble.
It was simply a marvelous gift of grace that God time after time
Poured out upon His people.
And the result:
(3) “You withdrew all Your fury; You turned away from Your burning anger.”
Was God angry? Yes
Was God furious? Yes
But He satisfied that anger, by pouring out His wrath on a substitute,
Thus forgiving His people, restoring their captivity,
And showing them undeserved grace.
We call that propitiation.
• It is appeasement.
• It is placation.
• It is satisfaction.
His anger was gone.
We understand that.
Romans 8:1 “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
We love everything about those first 3 verses.
They are a perfect description of the grace of salvation
Which God’s people have received.
And the Psalmist is recognizing that God did that very thing many times over for the children of Israel.
• We saw God do it for Abraham, for Isaac, for Jacob
• We saw God do it for Moses and the children in Egypt
• We saw God do it for Joshua and the armies of conquest
• We saw God do it often throughout the period of the Judges
It is just who God has been for Israel.
He has been a gracious God
Who restores, forgives, atones, and turns away from anger.
But for the Psalmist IT IS MORE
Than just a verse of praise for what God has done.
These 3 verses represent the hope of the Psalmist.
Certainly he is rejoicing in what God has done, but more than that,
The Psalmist wants God to do it again.
What God has done before, may He do again.
These 3 verses are the Psalmists concept of what revival looks like.
• Revival for him is when God shows grace that is undeserved.
• Revival for him is when God restores His people from their calamity.
• Revival for him is when God forgives the iniquity of His people.
• Revival for him is when God atones for the sin of His people.
• Revival for him is when God turns away from His burning anger.
That is his concept of revival.
When he asks for revival, it’s not just about
God stopping the wicked or God restoring peace and blessing.
When asks for revival, he means reconciliation with God.
And based upon that, he now moves forward.
#2 THE CRY FOR REVIVAL
Psalms 85:4-7
The first two words tell the story.
“Restore US”
What You’ve done before, do again.
• “Restore US, O God of our salvation.”
• “And cause Your indignation toward US to cease.”
What You did for them so many times in the past, now do for us.
• We are a people in need of grace.
• We are a people in need of restoration.
• We are a people in need of forgiveness.
• We are a people in need of atonement.
• We are a people in need of peace with You.
Not only is it a humble plea to God, but it is also
A tremendous recognition that ONLY GOD CAN PROVIDE IT.
There is no other means of restoration.
There is no other means of deliverance.
I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again, there is no hope at all
That America will be delivered through political means.
There is no hope whatsoever that the government can fix anything.
• Donald Trump cannot save America.
• Joe Biden cannot save America.
Perhaps one of them can save the economy,
But they cannot produce peace with God.
There is but one hope, that has always been God.
And let me point out something else that is often overlooked.
The Psalmist prays, “And cause YOUR indignation toward us to cease.”
I hear mentioned often in our day that God will judge America.
(I think by that people mean that God will take away or comfortable lifestyle)
TURN TO: ROMANS 1:18
(18) “The wrath of God IS revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.”
And it’s because
“even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God.”
You know that.
But what does it look like when God’s anger breaks out against a people?
What does it look like when God’s judgment falls on a people?
• Poverty?
• Nuclear attack?
• Natural Disaster?
How would we recognize if we were under the wrath of God?
Well Paul said God’s wrath “is revealed”.
How?
(24) “Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity…”
He speaks of idolatry where people worship the creature over the Creator.
If idolatry exists, it does so because
God has allowed it to exist to the detriment of those who practice it.
What else would God’s wrath look like?
(26) “For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions;”
You know he is referring to homosexuality.
That which produces the due penalty of their error.
What else would God’s wrath on a land look like?
(28) “And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind…”
Ultimately to do improper things.
God’s wrath is not only revealed in what He does to a nation,
But at times also by what He allows.
He allows people to have their sin and the consequence of that sin.
God IS judging America.
BUT THIS IS ALSO BIGGER THAN AMERICA.
We are talking about God’s displeasure with His people (the church)
What would some signs of that be?
How about:
Amos 8:11-12 “Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord GOD, “When I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine for bread or a thirst for water, But rather for hearing the words of the LORD. “People will stagger from sea to sea And from the north even to the east; They will go to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, But they will not find it.”
How about:
2 Timothy 4:3-4 “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.”
Our Sunday school class this morning
• Studied Daniel 8 and how the apathy had grown so great in Israel as to the burden of worship that God allowed them to lose public worship for 6 ½ years.
I see in America where
• To so many Christians attending corporate worship is such a hassle and burden and think it would be fitting if God allowed for us to lose the freedom of it.
• To so many Christians Bible preaching is not preferred.
THE PSALMIST COULD SEE THAT – GOD WAS ANGRY WITH THEM.
So the Psalmist asked:
(5) “Will You be angry with us forever? Will You prolong Your anger to all generations?”
That isn’t an accusation against God as though He has been angry too long.
• No, the Psalmist is merely pointing out that God has the right to be angry as long as He wants, but the Psalmist hopes He won’t.
God has been merciful in the past, the Psalmist hopes He will now too.
That God will allow His anger to subside.
And then here comes the million dollar cry.
(6) “Will You not Yourself revive us again, That Your people may rejoice in You?”
I want you to see the result or consequence of revival.
• He doesn’t want revival so that we can return to our preferred level of comfort.
• He doesn’t want revival so that we can enjoy life in peace and safety again.
WHAT IS THE REQUEST?
“That Your people may rejoice in You”
Revival is NOT for the purpose of producing comfort.
Revival is for the purpose of rejoicing in God.
I see in our world today a church that is grieved by society.
• We see homosexuality
• We see abortion
• We see rioting and protesting
• We see media deception
• We see political corruption
So we hear a lot about praying for revival.
2 Chronicles 7:14 “and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
That is prayed over and over.
God heal our land!
But often times I fear that the request is SIMPLY A CRY
For God to let us get back to our American way of life that we miss.
THAT IS NOT A CRY FOR REVIVAL
A prayer for revival is a prayer for satisfaction in God.
Even in that famous 2 Chronicles 7:14 did you notice what they were told to seek?
“seek My face”
(not seek a better land)
And incidentally, let me point this out as well.
We think of God healing our land as God healing America.
That is not a proper application.
Israel was the covenant people of God, so in a sense to heal their land was to heal where God’s people dwelled.
If you want a more appropriate understanding,
TODAY IT WOULD BE FOR GOD TO HEAL HIS CHURCH.
This is the prayer for revival.
Until the church wants God more than stuff or comfort
There will be no revival.
Jeremiah 29:10-14 “For thus says the LORD, ‘When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place. ‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. ‘Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. ‘You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. ‘I will be found by you,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.’”
Remember Asaph?
• He was grieved because he didn’t have “stuff” like the wicked did.
• When God finally brought him to repentance, his entire prayer changed.
Psalms 73:25-28 “Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. For, behold, those who are far from You will perish; You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to You. But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, That I may tell of all Your works.”
He isn’t looking for the world anymore, he only wants God.
You are familiar with Paul’s great statement in Philippians 3.
• Remember, how he lost all things in order to gain Christ.
• I count them but rubbish Paul said in order to gain Christ.
• I just want Christ.
Do you remember how he ended the chapter?
Philippians 3:17-21 “Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us. For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.”
Paul told the Philippians to follow his example because there were many,
Even those who associated with the church, who did not.
• They were people who didn’t want Christ, they just wanted the world.
• They wanted full bellies and earthly things.
• And Paul said they were enemies of Christ.
This is what it means to seek revival.
IT IS TO SEEK REJOICING IN GOD.
We’ve been reading the ending of Ezekiel
In our Sunday night scripture readings,
And I know to you it is incredibly boring as we read the intricate measurements of the temple.
You want me to tell you why it was a big deal to them?
• Because they had just witnessed God leaving their temple.
• And they had just witnessed Babylon burning their temple to the ground.
• These people lost God and their access to God and it was catastrophic.
But God gave Ezekiel a great vision of a rebuilt temple, and the real joy is coming in the last verse of the book.
Ezekiel 48:35 “The city shall be 18,000 cubits round about; and the name of the city from that day shall be, ‘The LORD is there.'”
That is what it means to cry for revival.
• Until that happens…
• Until the church wants Christ…
• Until the church just wants God and not the world…
THERE WILL BE NO REVIVAL.
The Psalmist wants God.
(7) “Show us Your lovingkindness, O LORD, And grant us Your salvation.”
I’m quite certain the American church wants the wicked to stop,
But I’m not sure the American church wants God more than anything else.
Until we do, there is no revival.
The Concept of Revival, The Cry of Revival
#3 THE CONDITIONS OF REVIVAL
Psalms 85:8-13
We love how the Psalmist begins this segment WITH CONFIDENCE.
“I will hear what God the LORD will say; For He will speak peace to His people, to His godly ones.”
Where does He get this confidence?
• Namely that God is unchanging, and who He was, He still is.
But notice the Psalmist, as he waits for God,
Has very pointed instruction to the people.
“But let them not turn back to folly”
The word for “folly” there is KICLAH (kiss-lah)
It literally means “stupidity”
Don’t let the church back to doing stupid things,
Like operating without a desire for God,
Or seeking the world more than seeking God.
We don’t ask for revival just so we can get back to life as we wanted it.
“let them not turn back to folly”
(9) “Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him”
It is that reverential awe.
Those who fear God…
Those who respect God…
Those who honor God…
His salvation is near to them.
HE GIVES REVIVAL TO THEM.
And again, we see the great benefit of revival
“That glory may dwell in our land.”
THAT GOD MAY RETURN!
(And again, when you see “land” think church)
That God may return to our church!
We are talking about an atmosphere
Were God is desired, respected, and welcomed.
Ephesians 3:17 “so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love,”
He wasn’t talking about Christ moving into their hearts as in salvation, but rather that Christ would “settle in” in their hearts; that Christ was welcomed there; that Christ was honored there.
Remember, this was the problem of Laodicea:
Revelation 3:17-20 “’Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. ‘Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent. ‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.”
• They didn’t desire Christ.
• They didn’t even think they needed Christ.
• He was outside knocking to come in.
THAT IS THE ISSUE HERE.
• That Christ is sought, adored, loved, desired, respected.
• That He is the chief aim of the church.
• That His glory and His good pleasure matter more than anything else.
• That our chief concern in all things and every time we gather is that Christ is pleased.
That is the idea of revival.
• You matter more than anything.
• I was stupid to think my will or my desires were important.
• I was stupid to think the world could satisfy.
• You matter more
• We desire You, we honor You
• Please be satisfied in us.
And the Psalmist goes on.
(10) “Lovingkindness and truth have met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed each other.”
• “lovingkindness” (CHECED) and “truth” are linked.
• “Righteousness and Peace” are linked.
You don’t get one without the other.
The notion of praying for peace without seeking righteousness
Is ridiculous.
He continues, explaining this
(11) “Truth springs from the earth, And righteousness looks down from heaven.”
The word “truth” there can also be translated “faithfulness”
Which is a better fit here.
And notice the two times the word “from” is used.
According to the Psalmist where should “truth” or “faithfulness” come from? “earth” (us)
WE GIVE TO GOD FAITHFULNESS.
And where should righteousness come from? “heaven”
GOD GRANTS RIGHTEOUSNESS.
And then he says it a 3rd time to make sure you get it.
(12) “Indeed, the LORD will give what is good, And our land will yield its produce.”
When you read “produce” there, think fruit; as in righteousness.
It comes from God.
We produce it, when God gives it.
And so what is the point of the Psalmist?
We want peace.
We want God’s favor.
But it only comes when we are righteous.
And righteousness only comes from God.
And He only gives it to those who sincerely seek Him and fear Him and desire Him.
(13) “Righteousness will go before Him And will make His footsteps into a way.”
Again, He is the giver of righteousness.
He makes the way.
I hope you see the point,
We had run through these last verses sort of quickly.
But you have here a great point by the Psalmist.
• The cry of revival is a cry for God.
• The conditions of that cry are that we desire Him and we are devoted to Him.
• And when He comes the righteousness which produces peace comes with Him.
Does that make sense?
If you want revival, get your mind off of all the ways you want America to change.
And look into your own heart and ask yourself
If you want Christ more than anything else?
To pray for revival but to only want better circumstances
To go back to a life of apathy is not a prayer God is going to grant.
